The North Carolina volleyball team has started the 2021 season 6-0 — the first time they've accomplished this feat since 2016.
Their most recent wins came this past weekend, defeating Colorado State 3-2 and sweeping both Wofford and East Carolina in three straight sets.
The keys for the weekend’s success was the team’s “constant energy and communication,” said senior middle hitter Amanda Phegley.
“I think we came out with a lot of energy, and I think a big part of our consistency and ability to execute really well was our ability to turnover and stop the other team’s runs.”
Phegley also cited solid play from the outside hitters and the team’s ability to pass as key factors for the team’s victories. On an individual level, she was one of the Tar Heels’ top performers in the past three games.
Her best game came against Wofford when she recorded 11 kills, three block assists, and 12.5 points on a .786 hitting percentage. She was also a scoring machine in the Tar Heels’ most recent match, notching 10 points against ECU.
Other top performances came from graduate transfer outside hitter Nia Robinson, sophomore middle hitter Kaya Merkler and first-year outside hitter Mabrey Shaffmaster, who all combined for 57.5 points in the team's match against Colorado State.
But even outside of points, the team’s hitting percentage was excellent for most of the weekend.
The Tar Heels seemed to be more dominant when their efficiency was at its best, as they recorded .290, .400 and .128 hitting percentages in the three games over the weekend.